Review: Dreams From Gin – Station Songs

Dreams From Gin inhabit a world where detuned guitars rule the world. Their MySpace blurb claims that they are a “direct response to market research which suggests that the perfect unsuccessful indie rock band can be created by forcing three irrational young men into a freezing cold abandoned gas station”. The New York trio may be disappointed on that score as ‘Station Songs’ is certainly a critical success which could even lead to greater exposure.

‘Stereo Fire’ – an obvious choice for the opening track – is a grungy song with a killer hook on the chorus that will doubtless please fans of ‘Creep’ or ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’. To follow such a gripping start is tough and sure enough the next offering, ‘Stoic’, is a downbeat affair, chiefly distinguished by doleful guitars and even more doleful vocals. Elsewhere on this mini album, there’s shouty, lo-fi anthems (‘Onoff’, ‘Never Knows Best’) but they also give indication of their cerebral side too with the unwinding mystery of ‘Broken Window’ rubbing shoulders next to ‘Seasons’; both tracks containing subtly infectious key changes and emotional vulnerability.

‘Station Songs’ is not a typically lo-fi album. Beneath the menacing exterior lurks an obsession with dark melody that could yet lead them out of the gas station in to considerably larger venues. Somehow, though, you sense they may be perfectly comfortable in their surroundings.